Automatic hydraulic crossing signal



March'Bl, 1931 J. A. MUELLER ET AL 1,799,058

I AUTOMATIC HYDRAULIC CROSSING SIGNAL Filed July 12, 1930 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. MUELLER AND LEO H. MUELLER, or FARMINGTON, Mrssounr I AU'roMA'rronYnnnuL Io onoss'me SIGNAL Application filed July 12,

15 warning position by ahydraulically operated mechanism actuated by the wheels of a train approaching the crossing and which will remain in, warning position until the train.

has passed the crossing when said warning 2 arms will be automatically raised by a mechanism embodied in the invention. Other objectswill appear hereinafter."

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to behere- 25 inafter described. a r

The invention will be best'understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, showing the preferred form of construction and in which: 1 i

F ig. 1 is a side elevational view of a part of the crossing gate mechanism embodied in our invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational detail view partly in section'of a part of the mecha- 35 nism shown in Fig. 1; v

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view ofa preferred form of the track mechanism embodied in our invention; p Y

' F'g. 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 44 in Fig. 3; and v a i Fig. 5 is a diagrammatical viewof one form ofwarning mechanism operable by our invention.

Referring to the drawing wherein a pre- 45 ferred form of construction of our invention is illustrated, indicated at are railway rails supported on ties 11 embedded in the rail bed 12 and indicated at 13 is a highway crossing over the railway track. Our inven- 50 tion includes a plate 14 :which is disposed 1930. Serial No. 467,595.

parallel to the rails 10 and attached to one of the rails by means of clamps 15 and 16 which are attached to the plate 14 by means of suitable bolt and nut structures 17. Formed integrally with the plate 14 is a shaft 18 on which is mounted for rocking movement a collar 19 carrying arms 20 and 21. A cotter key 22 or the like is provided in a suitable opening formed in "the shaft 18 for securing the collar 19 and arms 20 and 21 in position on the shaft 18. The arm 20 includes a rightangularly extending-portion 23 on which is rotatably mounted a ball race 24. As best shown in Fig. 4, the ball race 24 is disposed adjacent the edge of the rail 10 so that the wheels 25 of the train will engage the ball race 24 thereby depressing the arm 20 and causing arm 21 to actuate the mecha- "nism now to be described. V

In this connection we provide heads 26 on the arm 21 which heads have abutting engagement with head portions 27 provided on plungers 28 and 32. The plungers 28 and '32 carry pistons 29 which are disposed in cylinders 30 and 33 and it is manifest that when the wheels of the train engage the ballrace 24 from the left as seen in Fig. 3, arms 21 will actuate plunger 28 thereby moving piston 29 inwardly in cylinder 30 while plunger 32 will remain stationary during this movement of plunger 28. Conversely, when the wheels of the train successively engage the ball. race 24 from the right, as seen in Fig. 3,'plunger 32 will be actuated forcing its attached piston 29 inwardly in cylinder 33. It is understood that the'track mechanism of curin- 'vention just described is provided in the railway track structure at both sides of the highway crossing 13 and .a suitable distance therefrom so that the mechanismnow tojbe described will be actuated before the engine of the train arrives at the highway crossing.

. discharge outlet 34 is provided in each .of the pistons 30 and 33 and controlling these outlets 34 are valves 35 preferably of the ball and spring type as indicated at 35. .Thedischarge outlets 35 communicate with fluid conducting pipes 36 whichle'ad to cylinders .37 which are associated with the crossing gate mechanisms presently to be described. In the use of our invention we employ a liquid preferably an oil in the cylinders 30 and 33 and it is manifest that when the piston 29 in either of these cylinders is actuated in the manner described above, the oil will be driven out of the cylinder through the discharge valve 35, through pipes 36 and ball valves 38 provided therein to the cylinders 37. Disposed in the cylinders 37 are pistons 39 to which are attachedarms-40 and it is manifest that as the oil is driven into the cylinders 37 the pistons 39 will be raised thereby raising the arms 40. As shown in Fig. 1,, thearms 4'0 constitute parts of the crossing gate mechanisms which are arranged in pairs on opposite sides of the railway track so that the gate-arms 41 may be lowered across the highway1;3 in a manner presently to be described. Asthe oil from pipe 36 is forced into, the cylinders. 37 the pistons 39 are raised until they reach a point above the overflow openings; 42 provided in the cylinders 37. It is manifest, therefore, that when the pistons 39' reach a poi-ntabove the overflow openings-4t2 any additional oil pumped into the cylinders 37 by the action of pistons 29 will flow out ofjthe overflow openings 42 through pipes 43 to overflow tanks 44. The overflow tanks t t are connected to return pipes 45.

The overflow tanks 4% may be supported in any suitable manner such as on the blocks 46; which may be of any suitable material, for example, concrete,and the blocks46 preferably support uprights 47 which, are attached thereto by bolt and nut structures 18. Provided in thear ms 40 are teeth 49which engage teeth 50 formed in gears 51 which are mounted on and, keyed t0 shafts 52 by meansof keys 53. The shafts 52 are secured in suitable bearing surfaces providedin the uprights 47 and mounted on and keyed to the shafts 52-, are the gate arms-41 which carry oounterbalances 54 which are attached-to the armed-l in any suitable manner. Vilhen the arms 40 are moved upwardly by the action of, the pistons 39, in. the manner described above, it: is manifest that the teeth 49 will engage-the teeth 50von the gears 51' and the gate arms 41 will therefore be lowered: into horizontal position acrossthehighway 13. After the trainhas passed the traCkmechanism shown in: Figs. 2, and 3, and-therefore after, the wheels of the train v have ceased to actuate the plungers 28 and 32, the counterbalance weights5i will raise the gate arms 41 into, vertical position and it is apparent that as the gate arms tl are raised'fromhorizontal position to vertical position the arms 40-will be lowered andpistons 39 moved downwardly in the cylinders 37. As the pistons 39 are moved downwardly inthe pistons 37 part of: the oil in the pistons 37 isforced out of thesepistons through outlet connections55 .to the tank it from which theoihisagain .angularly. with respect to, the rail, a-

distributed to the return pipes 45 and cylinders 30 and 33.

While it is understood that any suitable warning signals may be provided on the gate arms 41, such as red signal lights, in Fig. 5 we have shown an arrangement for associating our invention with an electric warning bell, In, this instance we mount a hell or gongs 56 of any approved type on each of the uprights 4:7 and one terminal of each of these-bells is connected by means of conducting element 57 to a suitable source of electricity such as a battery or the like 58. A conducting element 59 connects the battery 58 to a movable contact which has abutting engagement with the armAO, It is manifest,

therefore, that when the arm 40 is raised it will; abut the movable contact 60- and the contact 60 will engagethe stationarycontact 61 thereby completing a circuit to the hell or gong 56 through the conductor 62 and thus cause the-bell to sound a warning signal.

From the foregoing description, of our invention it is manifest that we have provided an improved automatic crossing signal construction which will be positive and reliable inuse while being ejconomicalin manufacture and operation. I

While we have illustrated and described thepreferred form of'construction for carrybearing boss onsaid, plate extending right- 3 angularly, fromthe rail whenthe plate is in,- stalled, a rockable member on saidboss and including anarm-extended toward, andrigJhtall race on said arm adaptedto be engaged by the Wheels of a vehicle passing over the rail, said rockable member having; heads on the end thereof opposite said arm, andaneans engageableby said heads for operating said; signals. v a

2. In-flu1d pressurejoperated crossing signals, a track mechanism comprising a. plate,

brackets for securing said plate to a: rail, a bear ng boss on sald plate extending rightangularly from the rail when the plate is installed,.a rockablemember on said boss and including an arm extended-toward, andrightangularly with respect to, the rail, a ball race on saidarm, adapted to be engaged by. the wheels ofza vehicle passing over. therail, said rockahle member having heads on the end thereof opposite said arm, and means engageable by said heads for operating said signals, said last named means including a fluid pressure pump on each side of said rockable member, each of said pumps including a spring actuated piston plunger engageable by one of said heads.

In testimony whereof We affix our signatures.

JOHN A. MUELLER. LE0 H. MUELLER. 

